NameCensus.

UK surname

Wakelam

In the 1881 census there were 317 people recorded with the Wakelam surname, ranking it #9,359 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 547, ranked #9,323, up from #9,359 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Sedgley and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chirnside and Area, Sandwell and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wakelam is 595 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.6%.

1881 census count

317

Ranked #9,359

Modern count

547

2016, ranked #9,323

Peak year

1999

595 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wakelam had 317 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,359 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 547 in 2016, ranked #9,323.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 555 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Wakelam surname distribution map

The map shows where the Wakelam surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Wakelam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wakelam over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 120 #15,144
1861 historical 120 #18,255
1881 historical 317 #9,359
1891 historical 407 #8,750
1901 historical 480 #8,301
1911 historical 555 #7,231
1997 modern 569 #8,454
1998 modern 587 #8,518
1999 modern 595 #8,487
2000 modern 579 #8,611
2001 modern 568 #8,602
2002 modern 591 #8,543
2003 modern 590 #8,436
2004 modern 581 #8,539
2005 modern 562 #8,658
2006 modern 553 #8,775
2007 modern 558 #8,802
2008 modern 551 #8,951
2009 modern 559 #9,055
2010 modern 558 #9,260
2011 modern 571 #9,002
2012 modern 575 #8,877
2013 modern 566 #9,109
2014 modern 569 #9,132
2015 modern 558 #9,193
2016 modern 547 #9,323

Geography

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Where Wakelams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Sedgley, Dudley, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and West Bromwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chirnside and Area, Sandwell, Wychavon and Birmingham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 West Bromwich Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chirnside and Area Scottish Borders
2 Sandwell 015 Sandwell
3 Wychavon 004 Wychavon
4 Birmingham 045 Birmingham
5 Birmingham 126 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wakelam

These lists show first names that appear often with the Wakelam surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wakelam

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wakelam, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Wakelam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Wakelam household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Wakelam is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wakelam is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wakelam falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wakelam is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Wakelam, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Wakelam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wakelam surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 185 Wakelams recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.89x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 185 17.89x
Worcestershire 59 14.75x
Warwickshire 41 5.31x
Shropshire 16 6.05x
Devon 5 0.78x
Derbyshire 4 0.83x
Durham 3 0.33x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 55 Wakelams recorded in 1881 and an index of 143.23x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 55 143.23x
Dudley 52 106.95x
Willenhall 48 247.93x
Birmingham 41 15.93x
West Bromwich 18 30.41x
Brewood 9 302.01x
Shifnal 9 125.35x
Wolverhampton 9 11.32x
Wednesbury 7 27.09x
Claverley 6 335.20x
Lower Penn 6 1666.67x
Stourbridge 6 58.31x
Upper Penn 6 231.66x
Walsall Foreign 6 11.24x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 10.18x
Wednesfield 5 32.87x
Cannock 4 22.17x
Stone 4 30.26x
Bishopwearmouth 3 3.84x
Handsworth 3 11.77x
Chesterfield 2 11.12x
Litchurch 2 10.36x
Bilston 1 4.99x
Donington 1 238.10x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.62x
Kings Norton 1 2.79x
Sandon 1 185.19x
Tettenhall 1 15.82x
Trysull 1 166.67x
Wombourn 1 52.08x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Wakelam surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Sarah 20
Elizabeth 16
Mary 16
Eliza 8
Alice 7
Emma 7
Hannah 7
Harriet 6
Jane 6
Martha 6
Ann 5
Louisa 4
Rose 4
Emily 3
Fanny 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Florence 2
Maria 2
Polly 2
Annia 1
Bessie 1
Cuthannet 1
Diana 1
Drusilla 1
Eleanor 1
Elisa 1
Elizth 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Harriett 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Mercy 1
Minnie 1
Miranda 1
Nellie 1
Nelly 1
Priscilla 1
Prisilla 1
Prudence 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rosahannah 1
Ruth 1
Ursula 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Wakelam surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Wakelam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wakelam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 317 people were recorded with the Wakelam surname. That placed it at #9,359 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wakelam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 547 in 2016. That gives Wakelam a modern rank of #9,323.

What does the Wakelam map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Wakelam bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.